In Front of Your Nose

SUMMARY

Establishing meaningful connections to faculty is a continuing challenge for academic librarians. One library's efforts at faculty outreach received unexpected assistance from the Internet, when faculty and student curiosity about this resource created opportunities for new library staff to build connections to faculty and establish their credibility on campus. In the process, the library made progress towards meeting another challenge: determining the role of the Internet in the library. Internet instruction is now integrated with library instruction and is available to faculty and students in a variety of formats.     

Messages from the Eagle

ABSTRACT

Each year Dacus Library teaches library use to over a thousand freshmen in introductory Writing classes. In the summer of 2000, two reference librarians undertook a revision of the basic methodology of teaching library use to freshmen. This change was necessitated by staff shortages, coupled with increasing enrollment. The resulting virtual tour, which was introduced in fall 2000, combined an existing audio-tape tour with one hour of classroom instruction. The university's mascot, an eagle, was used to lead the students on a tour of all three floors of Dacus Library, with explanations of each location pictured. In addition, the eagle was used to describe and explain the online catalog. The new virtual tour, while still a work in progress, is considered to be a success by students, library faculty and staff, and Writing instruction faculty. You can visit the Dacus Library tour at www.winthrop.edu/dacus/About/Tapetour/Exercises/assignment2.htm.     

Designing Internet Instruction for Latinos

SUMMARY

It is becoming increasingly important to provide appropriate library instruction for the rising number of Latino students enrolling in higher education. Of particular concern is how librarians can provide effective Internet instruction to Latinos. Latino students' needs and learning styles tend to differ from those of the mainstream population from which the majority of librarians come. These differences have implications for the ways that librarians offer instruction. This paper will discuss cultural issues and varying learning styles that librarians need to be cognizant of when working with a Latino population, and will provide guidelines for shaping instruction for Latinos within an Internet environment.     

Internet Access to National Library of Medicine SDI Search Results

Abstract

The results of selective dissemination of information (SDI) searches are typically printed offline and mailed to the library for distribution. Postprocessing this material-sorting the printouts, gathering and recording statistics, and actually delivering itnrequires substantial effort by staff. With the recent introduction of Internet access to SDI search results at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the library at Louisiana State University Medical Center in Shreveport (LSUMC-S) was able to computerize much of its SDI postprocessing. Library staff wrote two computer programs which sort SDI results, gather and report statistical data without requiring manual data entry, and allow delivery of search results as either hardcopy or e-mail, as the client prefers. This software also adds value to the final product, by tagging citations which appear in journals to which the library currently subscribes. Automation of SDI postprocessing at the LSUMC-S library has resulted in substantial savings in staff time and expense.     

The S.A.G.E. Project

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the process and creation of a library resources and services Web page within WebCT, a course authoring program that is being used to deliver complete course content over the Internet in a distance education program at The Ohio State University. A librarian at the Prior Health Sciences Library was asked to join a faculty team to teach and provide library services for a series of three courses. The students are working health professionals who cannot attend regularly scheduled classes. Illustrations are included of the WebCT course page and the library resources and services page. The initial process and planning are described, and recommendations for future research are identified.     

The Dirty Details of Gopher Maintenance

Abstract

This paper describes the details of maintaining an Internet information service, focusing on the experience of Documents Center staff in the University of Michigan Library with the “Department of Commerce Economic Data (UMich)” gopher area. Described are the evolution of the service, the logistics of obtaining and posting the files, developing staff skills and knowledge, file selection, and provision of enhanced access and assistance. Long term considerations are discussed. Internet information services differ from more traditional library services and materials maintenance because they require special skills, equipment, and constant reassessment. Despite this, the benefits of providing such services are significant for the academic library's clientele, its staff, and the Internet community overall.     

Electronic Instruction at Carlson Library

Abstract

In this age of increasing electronic instruction in academic libraries, the University of Toledo's Carlson Library, like many other academic libraries, is trying to come of age. The library's instruction program has traditionally used a paper-based instructional format. However, with the introduction of the library's OPAC, CD-ROMs, the Internet, and OhioLINK in recent years, we are faced with a number of challenges which this paper will discuss. The main challenge is that we are trying to teach electronic resources without a mediated classroom in the library. We need to bridge the gap between the paper-based instruction program and electronic resources because our current teaching methods do not always allow for patron interaction with the technology. Increasingly, instruction is having to take place at the Information Desk, where there are time constraints and library users are unclear about the kinds of information they want or which electronic resources they need. Adapting to these new and growing resources and developing the skills needed to teach them are among the important challenges librarians at Carlson Library face.     

Developing a Chat Reference Training Program

ABSTRACT

In the last few years, chat reference services have been implemented by public, college and university libraries. One important aspect of the chat reference service is library staff training. Literature shows that this is a vital step in offering a chat reference service. Library staff need to be well-trained in areas of chatting, reference interviewing in a digital environment and using electronic resources, such as the Internet and databases. This article discusses the chat reference training program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The following text provides an outline for establishing a chat training program including planning, organization, implementation and assessment. Areas of discussion include the chat reference interview, chatting and patron management techniques.     

Usability Testing and Instruction Librarians

ABSTRACT

This study examines how librarians are experiencing usability testing and how their observations are influencing library instruction. A survey of instruction librarians illustrates how usability testing and library instruction are connected. Survey results prove that instruction librarians are involved in usability testing. Furthermore, their participation in usability studies has led instruction librarians to alter their instructional methods. An overwhelming majority changed one or more instructional tools as a result of usability testing, and many reported creating new instructional resources. The authors add their own insights as both instruction librarians and participants in usability testing.     

A Historical Overview of Internet Reference Services for Distance Learners

SUMMARY

The advent of library services and collections on the Internet revolutionized reference services to students enrolled in distance learning programs. Prior to the Internet, reference librarians who supported distance learning programs had few methods, and many of them costly, to provide the equivalent library services advocated by the ACRL Guidelines. Through the Internet, these librarians were able to approximate the services and resources that had always been available to students who came into the library. This article describes the development of reference services on the Internet in a variety of libraries that support distance learners.     

Authenticating Users Inside and Outside the Library

ABSTRACT

Libraries supporting digital resources must provide access to proprietary databases for off-campus users. It is also often important to restrict access to given databases or to classes of users from within the library. Vendors usually control access through some combination of Internet Protocol (IP) address and user ID and password. The process of authenticating and authorizing users creates an access management system. One of the most effective means for implementing an access management system today is through a Web proxy server. The technique for setting up the Netscape Proxy Server is described, along with the proxy server's advantages and disadvantages.     

The Two Instructional Faces of the Web

Abstract

The World Wide Web represents the final step in the evolution of the Internet as a tool worthy for practical applications in instruction. Two particular applications for the Web are discussed in light of projects which have been undertaken in the Helen Topping Architecture and Fine Arts Library at the University of Southern California. First, the World Wide Web may be used as a resource in the library. The Web is a source of content which, like all library resources, must be taught. It should be presented to users along with the same information literacy skills which must accompany any resource. Second, the Web may be used as a publishing tool where the content is created according to the particular instructional need or situation. This usage involves the technology of the Web rather than the content of the Web; this technology is the interface and access capabilities, either local or on a server, provided by the Web browser.     

A Review of “Hiring,Training, and Supervising Library Shelvers”

Abstract

The emergence of the Internet has dramatically changed information access capabilities through computers. Tools and resources available on the Internet affect library services in various ways. Many health science librarians are using Internet resources to meet the information needs of health care providers and themselves. This study examines different applications of the Internet components in medical library settings with a special emphasis on reference services. It also discusses the role of the Internet in fulfilling National Network of Libraries of Medicine's (NN/LM) objectives and analyzes the merit and demerits of using the Internet as a reference tool in health sciences libraries.     

An Examination of Library World Wide Web Sites at Medium-Sized Universities

ABSTRACT

This article presents the results of a study of World Wide Web (Web) Sites for 133 academic libraries serving medium-sized universities. Each library Web site was examined, and all of the features were recorded. The study identified 31 core components which were present in over 50 percent of the libraries surveyed. The study indicated that: the navigational and design aspects of library Web sites should be improved; materials should be placed on the sites only if they will be accessed and utilized by the user community; and libraries could profit by making greater use of online tutorials and virtual tours to supplement regular bibliographic instruction.     

Internet Access in School Library Media Centers

SUMMARY

Internet access in schools should be provided via the school library media center. School library media specialists have sets of skills that allow the connection to the Internet to be made and utilized to its full potential. These skills include technical expertise in establishing and maintaining networks, experience in promoting and integrating new technologies in the educational process, and the ability to identify and evaluate information resources. Additionally, school library media specialists have knowledge and training in dealing with the issues of censorship and equity of access that accompany use of the Internet by school children.     

A Review of “Reference Sources for Small and Medium-sized Libraries”

SUMMARY

In the summer of 1999, the libraries at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) embarked on a Web redesign project. Essential to the new Web site were the development of a database of resources, Sage, and the creation of various in-house tools, which are used to enter and edit database resources. Tools were also created which assist in the creation and maintenance of various Web sites. With the completion of the project, UCSD students, faculty and staff can easily locate the resources and library information they need and library staff have more tools for Web site management.     

Combining teacher-Led and technology-assisted instruction to improve phoneme blending to read words for elementary students with disabilities

Technology-assisted instruction has potential for helping students improve their reading skills. In the current studies, PowerPoint software was used to supplement teacher-led reading instruction for elementary-aged students with disabilities who struggled with phoneme blending to read words. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed using two multiple probe design studies across sets of words based on an onset-rime (word family) strategy. In Study 1, teacher-led instruction was paired with technology-assisted instruction for all intervention sessions for three students in first and second grade. In Study 2, teacher-led instruction occurred between baseline and technology-assisted intervention sessions for three students in third and fourth grade. During the initial instruction sessions, participants recorded their own voices onto PowerPoint slides so that their technology-assisted instruction included self-modelling. Results of both studies indicated that technology-assisted instruction can be effective for helping students learn how to blend phonemes to read words; however, performance varied and there were limitations in each study that should be addressed in future research. Relevant implications for classroom instruction are emphasized.     

Internet Training

Abstract

Library staff members throughout the world are being introduced to the Internet by means of various training programs. Many libraries are calling on members of their own staff to develop programs for their own libraries. The success of these programs depends on advance preparation, the ability to convey information, and the ability of the trainer to fit comfortably into the training role.     

The clinic-level perspective on mHealth implementation: a South African case study

ABSTRACT

This exploratory investigation presents a case study of the deployment of an mHealth service in established public clinics, and assesses the findings using Activity Theory. We contribute to the limited empirical research on mHealth implementation in established public facilities, and build on work on the use of Activity Theory to frame investigations of ICT4D interventions.

The study investigates the perspective of clinic staff responsible for registering women for a free maternal health messaging service. Open-ended interviews and observation sessions were used to reveal staff experiences of the implementation, and their work practices. Activity Theory analysis was adopted to help interpret the data, and identify likely dynamics leading to these specific practices.

Some themes that emerged were the hierarchical nature of the medical profession and implications for task shifting, the influence of technical design choices on use patterns and issues arising from the developing-country context.     

Applying Learning Style Theory to Web Page Design

ABSTRACT

Library Web sites can be instructional tools, especially for those patrons who utilize library resources from their homes. Many libraries are developing online tutorials, but there is an opportunity for Web instruction on another level. The organization and design of a Web site can act as an instructional tool in itself. This paper is a call to library Web designers to assess their work in terms of learning style preferences. Learning style theory is based on how people process information and learn new material. Applying these ideas to Web page design can make library resources more accessible and improve the patron's comprehension of how the library works.